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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JoeGKushner" data-source="post: 2009165" data-attributes="member: 1129">Dungeon World is something a little different in a campaign setting.  The introduction compares it to Ravenloft and Spelljammer in that it’s a place to go in order to experience and explore different realms than your own and play with the rules a little bit.The book starts off with the “The Nature of Dungeon World”, which provides the GM some basics.  First, Dungeon World is its own plane.  Light is rare because it’s underground.  Time flows differently here depending on the GM.  Weather and temperature vary depending on where one is in the dungeon.  The world is fully three-dimensional because characters can move up and down.  Food and water are rare.  It’s also far from standard planes so clerics start to lose their spellcasting ability and can’t gain experience after a certain point.  This section could’ve been expanded a bit to include notes about other divine spell uses like rangers, druids, and paladins who seem to remain unaffected.Other information included is what type of people lurks in Dungeon World.  Roughly, this is broken up into four main types.  Newcomers, people who’ve just arrived, denizens, people who accept their fate, lost, those who will not accept their fate as being trapped, and escapees, people who’ve made it out of the rock.People usually arrive in Dungeon World by dying.  Powerful beings known as the Caretakers swipe the characters soul and place it in Dungeon World.  There are a few other options for getting character to Dungeon World like planetravelling and even a high level spell, but death is most common.  Those not interested in running a full campaign in this setting provide the characters with quick quests for the Caretakers and after said quest is done, the characters leave behind this strange world and return to their undecaying bodies.  Those not given a quest have to search for a portal to escape and unfortunately, not all the portals lead back to a prime material plane so let the user beware.One thing that’s a little unclear is if the character loses a level when he returns to his body.  In standard practice, you lose a level after being raised from the dead, but in this case, since it’s a near death experience, do you punish the players with a negative level?  If you don’t, then everyone will want to go to Dungeon World when they die.  A chance to explore a new realm and not suffer an experience point loss?  Sign me up!Some of the options briefly touched on include having old foes already in Dungeon World.  I thought this original as it provides the GM with a chance to use someone who may’ve fallen due to poor die rolling or to utilize a nemesis that the players thought gone for good, without being unbelievable or cheesy.  After all, if the characters are here, their enemies can’t be too far behind eh?The section on Dungeon World campaigns provides GMs with information that effects players directly.  For example, rust and decay run rampant here and items will fall apart much quicker than they normally would.  Despite arriving in prime shape with no wounds or even scars, characters will face the dangers of starvation and disease.  The bulk of the book is Nex, the so-called heart of Dungeon World.  There are twenty-five levels here.  A table shows which ones have starting points and exit points in Nex, but lack page references.  In addition, there is no EL listing.  This would’ve been perfect for determining what level the players’ wake up in.  Still, the area reference is a useful tool for those wishing who’ve fully read the book and have assigned their own page reference and level references to it.  The section that introduces Nex has a nice summary of the twenty-five different levels and can help a GM determine which locals are appropriate for his party.Each section starts off with it’s level, name, for example, Level 1: Temple Ruins, general character, a brief description on what the level is and what its been used for, construction, information on what the walls and floors are made up of, doors, information on standard doors, environment, the weather around the level, and locations, which provide details that correspond to the map.  The maps are generally high quality but may be a little difficult to understand their scale.  For example, Level 3: Tombs and Guarded Places, has a black square off the map that states, 60’.  Now if that’s the case, then the hallways and doors are 60’ as well which is strange.  In addition, some maps suffer from having a background to similar in color to the maps that makes reading details difficult in some cases.The levels give the GM with a wide variety of creatures to use but care must be taken as no Els are provided for the GM to gauge combat on.  In addition, GMs must be sure that they want their players to acquire some of the magic that is just lying about at times. For example, in Level 9: Bug Tunnels, the starting area has a +4 robe of protection, two continual light coins and 4000 gp.  Not bad for waking up naked from a deathly experience eh?After the descriptions of the levels, there is a section entitled, Quest of Next.  These twenty-five quests are good but brief examples of different style quests to escape Dungeon World that the GM can use.  Each one includes a section to provide the players with a method out, as well as a section for the GM that provides information specific to the quest.  For example, quest 2. Fungi Planting, provides the GM with a sickle that is meant to be used for harvesting fungi but is +4 with lots of bonus damage against undead.Because single players can easily wind up in Dungeon World, a chapter on solo playing would’ve been great.  Unless you’re playing a cleric, you’ll have to rely a lot of healing potions and other non-spell based methods of staying alive and some advice on how to do such things would’ve been useful for newer GMs or GMs who have newer players.In addition to the dungeon itself, there are numerous new monsters scattered throughout the book.  I would’ve preferred them all in one section.  The first batch of beasts are the Caretakers inventions and includes the Naughty Ones, huge creatures that resemble moving boulders like the creature from the movie Galaxy Quest.  Mud Urchins, gargantuan worm-slug like monsters that are sent to destroy whole communities and Rock Brats, irritants to warn individuals to move on and complete their quests.  Other monsters are placed where they’re encountered like the Warriors of Horus, undead guardians, or the Wellwalker, powerful constructs crafted from the living Stairwell that attack with massive claws.The book may be a tad on the expensive side for some.  When Scarred Lands, and Fantasy Flight Games hardcover books are $25 bones and Dungeon World is $30, there are some choices that have to be made in how much you’re willing to spend.  I’m not a great fan of the art style either.  Many illustrations look to be taken out of Dover books in that they’re old line drawings.  They’re not bad, but perhaps not the most appropriate style of art for a modern fan reader who’s more used to the visual aspects of RPGs.  Thankfully, not all of the art is like that and there are several excellent illustrations.  In addition, while the mechanics are better than previous books by this company, they are by no means perfect.  Challenge Ratings, bonuses, and creation rules are wrong or just plane left out.So what would this product have to do to get a five star rating?  One, better D20 mechanics.  This isn’t hard.  It’s not rocket science.  Two, better art.  Three, better and more useful charts.  Four, lower cover price.  The price isn’t outrageous, but it’s not competitive with other hardcovers.  If those four things are handled in the next book in the series, then Fast Forward Entertainment is doing their job and listening to feedback.  If not, then people will continue to grouse about the poor job FFE is doing in the D20 market.Dungeon World is an interesting diversion and if nothing else, provides the GM with twenty-five different levels that can be modified and added to any standard dungeon.</blockquote>

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